Summary
Critical Rolehas announcedAge of Umbra, its first officialDaggerheartcampaign series set in an original, grimdark setting. The first episode of this eight-part Daggerheart miniseries premieres on Twitch, YouTube, and Beacon on May 29, and marks the largest non-Dungeons and DragonsprojectCritical Rolehas done to date.
Daggerheartis a brand-new TTRPG designed byCritical Rolethat officially launches on May 20. This narrative-focused system uses special d12s featuring a Hope and Fear mechanic that allows both the GM and the players to influence the game in unexpected ways.Critical Rolehas done several one-shots using this system so far, but has yet to do any long-form actual play campaigns with it.
Now, that is about to change.Critical Rolehas officially announcedAge of Umbra, an eight-partDaggerheartminiseries featuring the core cast ofCritical Role, including game master Matthew Mercer and players Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, Liam O’Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, Taliesin Jaffe, and Travis Willingham. Fans can enjoy this series on Twitch, YouTube, orCritical Role’s Beacon streaming serviceon Thursdays at 7 PM PT starting May 29, though they can also catch a special Session Zero episode the week before on May 22.
Critical Role Age of Umbra Daggerheart Campaign Release Schedule
Age of Umbratakes place in the eponymous dark fantasy settingintroduced in theDaggerheart Core Set. In this godless world, known as the Halcyon Domain, the dead return as horrible monsters, and a dark void known as the Umbra threatens to corrupt all it touches, with Sacred Pyres, guarded by small, insular communities, the only thing keeping the darkness at bay. The campaign will initially focus on the characters played by Riegel, Ray, Jaffe, Willingham, and Johnson from the community of Desperloch, with Bailey and O’Brien ostensibly joining them partway through the adventure.
The formatCritical Roleis using forAge of Umbrais especially noteworthy. While it has done miniseries in the past, such asExandria Unlimitedor the recentWildemount Wildlings, few have had more than four episodes or used a system other thanDungeons and Dragons, and fewer still take place in worlds beyond the setting of the major campaigns. In truth,Age of Umbraseems to bemore in the format ofDimension 20– the Dropout actual play series featuring seasons of smaller, mostly unconnected stories and settings.
While this likely doesn’t meanCritical Roleis doing away with the long, 100+ episode sagas Critters are familiar with, there have yet to be any announcements regarding a fourth campaign. Fans will likely have to wait untilAge of Umbrafinishes on July 24 to find out what’s next forCritical Role.
